2nd Adventure: Sightseeing and Debrief (Archive)

Posts : 7109 Join date : 2017-05-17

Zeiss wrote:: 10:02 PM, 9th of August,
Zest's Gate, the Enclave

The Barracuda has now docked to pier number 2, which didn't take very long since there were no other ships to maneuver around. The city of Zest's Gate is now illuminated by multiple sources of light; taverns, inns, and street lights. Folks are now walking the streets, searching for somewhere to have fun, or fumbling around when they've had too much of it. The sailors seem eager to join the festivities, and they're happy to learn from their quartermaster that the captain has ordered to delay the time of departure by one day. Edward assigns a few men to keep watch on the ship while the rest go assault a tavern. The squad members and the party are invited to join them, but Breeze has to refuse since she is going to go see the moving statues, along with Mihai and Fedler. The fairy actually pleads for Steve and Konrad to tag along, and Zelk discreetly waits for the other black mage to give his answer before she does. As for Adam, Naomi, and Fredrick, they happily join the rest of the crew, and have already started to disembark.

"Please!" asks Breeze with the cutest expression she can muster. "You should totally come have fun with us!"

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K wrote:: Hands in his pockets, Mihai lightly kicks a pebble into the water.

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Rory wrote:: "Sure, I'll come along," Konrad answers, welcoming a chance to take his mind off of certain things with the rest of the adjunct. "I doubt what else we may learn from them, but perhaps we can just follow them around until they stop?"

Chances are they'll run across a mage scanning statues, or several mages together or alone. He'll ask them what they've learned about the moving statues by scanning them.

Intelligence
Have I heard of any old stories and tales of moving statues?

OOC
Are the statues actually bending their limbs and walking? Are they humanoid forms?

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Kolson wrote:: Steve wants to go hunting for statues but is torn between that and sexy times with his girlfriend. He'll tell her with a look that he wants to go and that she is invited. She notices Steve's look, and asks Breeze if she can come too. The fairy happily accepts.

Steve smiles and holds her hand. "I want to find out what they eat. I'm still thinking it's birds."

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Zeiss wrote:

"It would probably just get annoyed, and crush them," responds Zelk, very matter-of-fact.

"That's horrible!" says Breeze. "The poor birdies!"

"Come now, Blue," interrupts Fedler. "Let's go see one of those statues."

_________________________

The party walks through the energized streets of Zest, and they go to the only place they are sure to find one of those famous statues; the plaza where the effigy of Alvo Victivius was erected, a cloaked man who is pointing his sword at an invisible enemy. Braziers have been installed all over the place, and the 15 foot tall statue is still cordoned off, but there is only one mage studying it at this moment. Eight guards, who are armed with longswords and protected by chainmail armors, are making sure nobody passes through, as a fairly large crowd has gathered around the statue to observe the new attraction. However, the statue isn't moving.

"Anyone knows when's the last time it went for a walk?" asks an onlooker.

"I think it was a week ago?" replies her companion.

"A week!? Are we even sure it wasn't an hoax?"

"The Council wouldn't send anyone to guard it if it was an hoax," adds another person. "It's gotta be true."

People keep talking about how the rumors must be founded, as fairies have been proven to be real after all; just look at the one right there. Others are getting bored, and are leaving the plaza to find something else more interesting to do.

"It hasn't moved for one week?" says Breeze out loud, clearly disappointed.

"I'm not sure I would either," comments Fedler, as she looks around. "Not with that kind of audience."

Zelk peers at the stony gaze of Alvo Victivius with unease.

Steve - reminder:

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Kolson wrote:: "HEY ALVO, WHAT'S THE WORD?" shouts Steve at the statue, trying to get its attention.

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Zeiss wrote:: The statue doesn't respond. The other onlookers don't appear much fazed by Steve's attempt to get its attention.

"Very subtle," says Zelk.

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Kolson wrote:: "Like a kraken," he smiles. "Hey Breeze, go give our boy Alvo a hug. Maybe some fairy power will do the trick."

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K wrote:: Mihai manages to suppress a snort, but then considers something and asks Breeze - "You don't sense anything coming off of it, do you?"

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Rory wrote:: Spellcraft
Detect magic.

Konrad pulls Mihai aside to talk. So that none of the bystanders or the officials gawking at the statue can hear. "Here's a thought. Maybe the statue is aware of its surroundings. If it thinks no one is around, and gets up to walk, perhaps you or Fedler could follow it to see if it does anything interesting. And we'll just stay a block apart from you to keep from interfering. You could call if it takes notice and decides it doesn't appreciate art enthusiasts such as yourself taking a peek. Just an idea."

I decided to remove the spoiler tag on this and on K's reply post.

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K wrote:: Mihai shrugs - "Could be. But then, how do you plan disperse the guards and the crowd?"

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Zeiss wrote:

To Steve's suggestion, Breeze nods and gives him a thumbs up. "You got it Snowstorm!"

However, she is interrupted by Mihai's question, to which she simply responds, "Oh, I can sense some thoughts coming from it, just like I do from all of you." She then zooms trough the air, and stops right in front of Alvo's head. The fairy waves her hand at him and says "hello" multiple times, but it doesn't respond. It gets a few chuckles from the crowd.

"Not again!" complains the mage, who is standing right next to the pedestal on which the statue is erected. He's trying to shoo Breeze away, but since she's 15 feet high in the air, he can only shout at her. She has noticed this, and is now giving funny faces at the mage. The crowd is really amused. As for the statue, it hasn't moved one bit.

"I recognize that face she's making," comments Fedler, who is clearly entertained by all this. Even Zelk seems to be.

"I've seen someone make better faces," points out the lieutenant.

Konrad:

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Rory wrote:: As their blue-haired fairy companion keeps addressing the statue, "hey, hello, listen," etc, Konrad pushes through the crowd and asks the guards, as a concerned citizen, if they are guarding the other statues in the port town.

And to try and sense magic in the statue as well (and what kind), or whatever the mage is(was) doing.

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K wrote:: Mihai approaches another guard - "So, you drag the statue back to the pedestal whenever it goes for a walk?"

Followup question (unless the guard denies it walks at all) - "Does it always walk in the same direction?"

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Kolson wrote:: Steve looks at them and laughs. "You mean like this?" He starts making faces at the women. Lots of eyebrow raising and puffing of cheeks.

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Zeiss wrote:: The guard Konrad is talking to sighs, then replies, "Yes, of course we are. Now please, redirect your questions to the Management Council of Zest. We're just making sure no one approaches the statue."

"Leave it alone!" shouts the mage.

"Blergh!" replies Breeze, before she sticks her tongue out.

"...Except for the fairies," specifies the guard. "We haven't figured how to keep them away. Yet."

_________________

The guard Mihai is taking to rolls his eyes. "Of course not," he says. "It came back to the pedestal by itself." He listens to the second question, but is now clearly annoyed. "Look mate, I've had people ask me questions for the last five hours. I don't know what it does, and I don't care. Go bother someone else."

_________________

Fedler attempts to hide the smile creeping up on her face, but Steve's silliness is just too much, and she lets him win. As for Zelk, tells him with a deadpan tone, "Not your best."

It appears that she was going to follow-up on that, but something caught her attention, and she is suddenly wide-eyed with astonishment. She is looking at the statue.

_________________

Just as Konrad has started to analyze the magical energies going through the statue, he notices that everyone around him is rapidly falling silent. A few of them mutter at their closest companion, and they're all observing Alvo's effigy; its head has moved, and it is "looking" at the red mage. The rest of its body is still holding the same pose as before.

Breeze has just realized what is happening, and is waving her hand at the statue's face again, greeting it with "Hi! How are you?" However, it completely ignores the fairy, and is instead focused on Konrad. The mage and the soldiers are on their guard now, and slowly backing away from it.

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K wrote:: Mihai remains unfazed and stands his ground, and without taking his eyes off the statue just tells Konrad - "Whatever you're doing, keep doing it."

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Rory wrote:: After looking at the others, and back at the statue looking square at him, he chuckles and mutters to the people around him, "Heh, I think he likes me."

He steps up to "Alvo", near the base of the statue, and holds out his hand. "Alvo, I presume? You may call me Konrad. It's a pleasure and a privilege to meet someone of such prestige and renown such as yourself."

Well, this is new and interesting. And definitely very distracting from other matters. What matters? See, me? Nothing on my mind but this strange new thing happening to you.

Diplomacy
Charming the pants off this statue.

I introduced myself as Konrad here. I totally forgot...

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Kolson wrote:: "Oh!" exclaims Steve in surprise. He wasn't expecting this turn of events.

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Zeiss wrote:: The statue keeps "staring" at Konrad for ten long seconds. The crowd is now almost completely silent as they watch this breathtaking scene unfold before them. Then, the statue's head... slowly retake its initial position, looking straight forward at where Steve, Fedler and Zelk are standing. Breeze keeps waving a few times at its face, but she quickly gives up, and goes back to Steve.

"I tried Snowstorm, but nothing happened! I don't know why it looked at Konrad..." Her shoulders are slumping as she says that. "I just hoped we could go for a walk together. I don't know what else to do..."

The people in the crowd have now begun to speak among themselves.

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Kolson wrote:: "Sorry Blue, I'm not sure either. Let's go see what Konrad did." He moves towards Mihai and Konrad. "Hey guys, what was that? Why did Alvo look at you?"

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Zeiss wrote:: Fedler, Zelk and Breeze follow Steve.

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Rory wrote:: "No idea. Very odd. I'm guessing it hasn't looked at anyone like that before. Perhaps I should be the one poking at it."

He gets up on the base and attempts to shake the statue's hand by force.

"Alvo, don't you recognize me, old friend? It's me!" he lies, obviously lying.

Deception
Lying to the statue like a liar.

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Zeiss wrote:

Since one of the statue's hand is holding a sword, Konrad has to settle for shaking the other one, but despite his attempts to illicit a reaction, nothing happens.

"Doesn't even seem pissed off that you're lying to it," says Zelk with a sardonic smile.

The mage and the guards do not seem eager to stop the party from approaching Alvo. The fairy has brought one of her fingers to her mouth, and is now thinking out loud.

"Maybe we should try something different?"

Konrad:

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Kolson wrote:: "Well, what did you do before when it started moving, Konrad? Walk us through it."

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